Polikarpov I-3

The Polikarpov I-3 (Russian: Поликарпов И-3) was a Soviet fighter designed during the late 1920s. It entered service in 1929, but was retired in 1935 with the advent of fighters with higher performance.

Design and development

Development of the I-3 began in mid-1926 after investigations into the loss of the Polikarpov DI-1 were completed. Although the new biplane shared many of the characteristics of the earlier design, including the staggered sesquiplane layout of the wings, it was a new design. It was designed by the OSS (Russian: Otdel Sookhoputnykh Samolyotov — Landplane Department) of Aviatrest (Aviation Trust) under the supervision of Nikolai Nikolaevich Polikarpov, head designer of the department. There was much debate within the OSS about the proper powerplant for the new fighter, but Polikarpov rejected the Wright Tornado radial engine and decided in favor of the BMW VI liquid-cooled V12 engine. A wooden mock-up was completed in April 1927, but formal approval of the design did not come until 3 June 1927. Static tests of a full-sized model began in October at the same time as negotiations for a license for the BMW engine were finished.

I3

I3, I-3 or i3 may refer to:

Science and technology

Transport

Military

See also